You Mustn't Leave
by Crazy Foxie
Summary: After Master Hand's shocking news of planning to close the Mansion, a small group of unlikely heroes try to convince him otherwise. Lucas and Ganondorf centric.
1. Unexpected News

**A/N:** I found a bit of free time on my hands, so here's my next fic in line. I have many in store, both in this fandom and in others. After this fic, I plan to move into the Star Fox section for a while. Don't worry – this story's still got another 4 more chapters to go :)

I made Master Hand a nice hand since he is meant to be the Hand of Creation. That's why he feels guilty about everything. He's not some meany who manipulates people for the fun of it –glares at Byoshi-

Speaking of Byoshi, she's beta reading this fic for me too, so thanks!

Anyway, here's the opening chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **All characters belong to Nintendo, but you already knew that.

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**-- Chapter 1: Unexpected News --**

The high ceiling of the hall echoed the many voices of Smashers as they waited for the Mansion's owner. The chatter ranged from what Master Hand wanted to announce to what they had done earlier on in the day. The Pokemon sat in one corner, opting to converse in Poketalk so Ganondorf next to them wouldn't have the urge to try and listen to them.

The Gerudo himself was perched on a window sill, taking in the room with its stain glassed windows and impressive architecture. He wasn't one to talk with people in particular, but instead looked round and gathered people's personalities and habits like that.

He especially enjoyed watching Jigglypuff, the way she would toss her curl whenever she talked and her singing was like a lullaby to anyone who would listen. Sure, he would fall asleep like any other Smasher, but he noticed she never felt inclined to scribble over his face like she did to everyone else when they fell asleep.

That's what got him interested – did she really share the same feelings he had for her? He never asked, since she was either with the other Pokemon or he couldn't pluck enough courage to ask when they were alone together.

"Attention, Smashers!" a booming voice addressed everyone. The room gradually fell to silence as Master Hand and his brother entered the hall. The hands glided past Lucas, who noticed Master was visibly paler than the other.

The older brother went up onto the stage and looked round. Seeing everyone packed together like this made him want to reconsider his decision. He loved everyone equally, and he didn't want to hurt anyone by announcing the bad news he had for them.

But there was no turning back now.

"As a community, we have made strong friendships and have learnt many lessons from our peers." He couldn't say it. The words coming out weren't being controlled by him, but rather an alien part which seemed to say it for him. His fingers were numb, knuckles rigid; he could hardly comprehend what was happening around him. "I value all of you as my sons. Therefore Crazy and I have decided to close down this Mansion."

He was expecting a massive uproar in response to his announcement, but by the crowd's gaping mouths and wide eyes, they were paralysed with shock. Silence ensued as Master Hand let the news sink in.

Then one voice called out.

"Where will we go?" Popo questioned.

"Everyone will be united with their old friends in their previous worlds, where they had originally started their journey. I have arranged for you all to be returned tomorrow afternoon. Please take the time to pack your belongings and say your farewells."

As Lucas watched the hands leave the hall with yells of protests in their wake, he realised why Master looked so pale earlier. It had pained him, the father of the Mansion, to never see his people again after tomorrow. And proclaiming the news only made him more aware of how much he valued his Smashers.

Lucas could understand fully. Though the news was unexpected, he knew it wouldn't be anything usual since Master rarely called the Smashers to the hall. But he didn't want to give up so easily.

He could see Zelda and Link nearby and decided to approach them. He stopped suddenly when he heard the princess' words.

"Looks like it'll be the end," Zelda said grimly. She gazed round the hall, taking in its lively surroundings. The spacious walls, the Smashers themselves, even the inviting breeze, she'd miss them all.

"It's not all bad," Link reassured the princess. "After all, it's helped a lot of people get on with others. Look at Ganondorf – he's been watching Jigglypuff for how long now? That'll get him off your back for a while."

Zelda couldn't resist a smile. Even when she was down in the dumps, Link never failed to crack a joke or somehow make the situation at hand lighter. She rested a hand upon his arm.

"I'm glad I'll always have you. Even if something happens here, you'll always be there for me. We both belong in Hyrule – we have somewhere to return to." She rested her head onto his shoulder affectionately, and it comforted her to feel his arm around her. "But what about the others? People like Samus have only ever made friends because of Smash Mansion. How would they take it, returning home to find no one there?"

She heard Link sigh.

"You really need to stop worrying about other people so much. It's not good for your health." He pecked her forehead. "Samus can handle herself, she's a strong girl. And others have had adventures with their friends in their own world. Sometimes, people like ourselves need to stay away from the picture."

How could some people be so accepting with the sudden news, Lucas thought. Why were some people not even willing to fight for their Mansion, their home? There was _definitely_ something strange going on.

"Go back to our own worlds? That's a mighty brilliant plan. Now I get to be my _own_ leader, my _own_ villain." Lucas jumped as he heard Bowser's roars behind him. The Koopa King wasn't even looking at him. "Now I can continue concocting plans to kidnap Peach and make her my wife!" He punched his palm for emphasis.

"Why are people so happy to just give up? Shouldn't we at least make a stand?"

Bowser looked down to only just realise Lucas was there. He chuckled.

"Most people want to return since they miss old friends and old adventures when they were the heroes." The Koopa beamed. "My story's different, but I would like to return all the same. Why, don't you?"

Lucas avoided eye contact with Bowser. Unlike him, Bowser had many happy memories and stories to tell. He once had them too, but now they were distant, not even worth thinking about ever since their deaths. His loving mother and older twin brother were gone, and visiting his home would not bring them back.

In the Mansion, he found a new family, in a new form, but a family, nevertheless. It comforted him, knowing that old wounds could be healed and the previous experience of losing a family would be less painful. But the closure of the mansion served as a sharp knife poised above the wound.

And this time, there'd be no repair.

Lucas shook his head. "You wouldn't understand."

Lucas could feel Bowser's eyes on him as he walked away. Was he strange, wanting to fight to keep the Mansion? He had heard shouts of protest as the hands left the hall, so why couldn't he find anyone now?

"Has the world gone mad?" For the second time in a few short minutes, Lucas leapt in surprise. He looked round wildly where the shouting had come from.

Ganondorf had Mario in a head lock and looked as if he had no intention of letting go. Instead, he tightened his grip in anger without realising. Mario's face contorted with pain and Lucas could only watch the ordeal in terrified amazement.

"Villains deserve their rights as much as Nintendo's mascot! Heck, even supporting characters do! Look here, do you have _any _idea how much we've been through together?"

Mario, past the pained expression, couldn't hide his disbelief. "Together? You haven't even talked to me other than to pass the salt or something!" He was rewarded with more choking.

"Not just two of us, my dear plumber, all of us! We've all stuck together when times were rough and even the arguments are a part of it," Ganondorf hollered insanely, shaking Mario so desperately he wasn't trying to resist.

"Please stop it!" Lucas cried. Ganondorf raised his gaze from Mario's tormented face to Lucas' desperate one.

"Looks like you've been saved by a little kid, plumber. You better show your gratitude." The Gerudo let him out of the head lock in a sullen mood. The stout man rubbed his neck a little before drawing himself to his full height.

"It's no wonder why I want to get the hell out of here. I don't get-a treated like this back in Mushroom Kingdom." With those words, he turned on his heel and stormed away.

Ganondorf snorted with dissatisfaction. He took a step forwards, but Lucas stopped him before he could progress.

"Please don't hurt anyone anymore," Lucas muttered to his knees. He hated seeing anyone on bad terms, and even more so when violence was involved. Interjecting only came as something he thought was right.

And now, it looked like he was going to pay for it. He tightly shut his eyes, waiting for the blow he'd take for interrupting.

He winced as he felt the man's strong hand clap onto his shoulder, laughing. He opened up his eyes to find the man opposite with his broad shoulders wide apart and his head thrown back in amusement.

"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. You'd continue protecting someone who had run off without saying any words of gratitude? Why do you do that?" He stopped laughing and looked down at Lucas' terrified form.

"I don't believe violence will get anywhere," Lucas answered bravely. Ganondorf's eyes glimmered with interest.

"And you think we can claim our Mansion back by liaising?"

Lucas looked up instinctively at the question. Was he really fighting to keep the Mansion as well?

"W-what did you say?" Lucas spluttered. All the fear he had had been cast aside by that simple question. Now it was replaced by curiosity.

And hope.

"You didn't think I was fighting with Mario over salt or something, did you?" The Gerudo released his grip from Lucas' shoulder and placed both hands onto his hips. Lucas realised just how tall he looked when he did that. "Mario was just being a moron, thinking everyone was split up already or something – I wasn't really listening, to be honest. But look, Smash Mansion's one big family, and it'll take more than one silly announcement to break us apart!"

He threw down his arms onto both of Lucas' shoulders, almost making him fall over.

"We are one, big, happy family! And we must do what is in our power to prevent it falling apart! It's the call to fight for what is ours, for what is right! This Mansion is where it all began! Happy memories, painful ones, we all remember!"

Now he knew how Mario felt, being shaken to the point where he couldn't tell where the ceiling and he floor was. Lucas had established by the man's passionate speech he was saying exactly what he thought in a torrent of words. And he wasn't going to stop any time soon.

"Love exists not only as a blistering nuisance, but also for the love of our friends, our enemies! We must all stick together for ourselves, our home!"

He made a frenzied action of pulling Lucas to his side. "You agree with me, don't you, my boy?" Several hard pulls. Like a father would to a son.

Thinking about fathers made him feel sick. Who was his real father: the one back at home or Master Hand?

"Um…" Lucas began, astonished by his sudden question. He didn't wait for a reply.

"We need to gather those willing to fight for our rights, for justice! One member's not going to make a difference, but with a high number of protesters, we can change the tide! Are you with me?"

"Um…" Lucas stammered again. He didn't know why he was trying to reply, since the Gerudo was now dragging him through the crowd and was highly unlikely to even be interested in his response.

He had assumed Lucas had said yes.

**-- End --**

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**A/N:** Hehe, I enjoyed writing Ganondorf's special speech. Listening to 'Battle for Storm Hill' really puts the finishing heroic touch on it. Or any heroic song which reaches your requirements :) I kind of made him a rather nice guy. Let's just say he's a changed man with his heart in the right place. Don't get me wrong, he's still rather a bully.

Please leave a review on what you thought of it and I hope to update soon.


	2. Gathering Ideas

**A/N:** I'm back with chapter 2! Thanks for all the positive feedback and hope this chapter meets your expectations! More characters are coming into the picture now :) There's a lot of detective work in this, so be aware!

Thanks goes to Byoshi for beta reading this chapter.

To answer Ri2's query, Master Hand didn't try to close the mansion before. I think it was the phrase 'once and for all' in the summary that may have misled you and other readers, so I've removed that bit. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for pointing it out!

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**-- Chapter 2: Gathering Ideas --**

"We've been round asking everyone whether they want to keep the Mansion, and how many do we have?" Ganondorf twitched an eyebrow irritably.

Lucas shifted uncomfortably. If sitting next to Ganondorf was considered unbearable, how was sitting on Ganondorf's _sofa_?

He looked round. The walls were a dull red colour, which blended with the rich black of the ceiling and floor. Light seeped through a thickly netted bulb, making it rather difficult to see what was going on. For Ganondorf, this was ordinary. For the boy, who was used to venturing outside in the sun, the lack of lighting only served as a nuisance.

He could just about make out a bookshelf at the far end of the room, where the Gerudo presumably stored his hardcover spell books and history records. The sofa he was sitting on was near the centre of the room, where a highly decorative rug was stretched out in front of him.

It was on this rug that several figures got comfy in Ganondorf's room. Some sat cross legged, others were simply stretching their legs. One was even lying down, getting comfortable. In what little light he had to work with, Lucas counted each of the shadows.

"It looks like six of us altogether." Lucas heard Ganondorf grunt as he rose out of his seat.

"Six? _Six_? Out of thirty-five Smashers, we only have _six_ who want to keep this mansion?"

Lucas knew he wasn't the only one shrinking back as Ganondorf continued to vent his anger and disappointment. One of the silhouettes on the rug began to scoot away towards the door. Ganondorf saw this and lunged at the poor person, grabbing hold of the back of his collar.

"Oh no you don't," he snarled. The target gave a startled cry as Ganondorf's broad figure lifted him easily off his feet.

Lucas couldn't see who the victim was, but he could tell by the frantic kicks and constant whimpering he was in trouble. If only he _see_, then he could help…

An idea hit him.

"PK Thunder!" He surged electricity through his body and squeezing his eyes tight, he concentrated solely on looping the thread of energy round and round the netting restricting the light source. When he opened his eyes, he could see the room a lot better. The netting clattered onto the floor at the Gerudo's feet, the ends of the metal wire now bent and twisted.

"I was about to do that myself," Samus commented, a hand resting on her plasma gun. She grinned, but her emotion changed instantly as soon as she heard an angry yell.

A thud. The swish of a cloak.

Ganondorf bent down to meet Lucas' eyes. "I may be wrong, but I remember this being _my_ room. I don't want anything else broken, you hear me?"

Lucas would correct him into saying he didn't break his light, only the netting, but he knew better than to argue back. So he simply nodded.

"It was pitch black, and I don't know about you, but I'd prefer to know who I'm talking to," Samus snapped. Ganondorf folded his arms huffily.

"Every inch of this floor belongs to me. I'm giving you all the privilege of staying here. I want my room the way I want it. If anyone should be giving respect, it should be you." He looked at everyone in turn. "And if I see one more broken light or any other form of insolence, I'll have your shrunken head as my paperweight, got it?"

Four heads nodded in response.

"Now that that's all sorted, can we please get to the problem?" Lucario raised his head, keeping his side on the rug. His tail thumped the sofa leg lazily, which earned him a glare from Ganondorf. "Easy mistake to make."

Ganondorf, still watching the dog, took his seat back onto the sofa. After being practically mauled by the Gerudo earlier, Snake crawled back into the circle cautiously.

"The situation at hand," Ganondorf addressed, "is that Master Hand's leaving, correct?"

"But he said he was closing down the Mansion," the final member spoke at last. Marth sat cross legged to Lucas' right, seemingly talking to the ceiling. His eyes met Ganondorf's. "Just because the Mansion's closing doesn't necessarily mean Master Hand's leaving."

"Marth's right," Samus mused. "Master's always been creative, so it wouldn't surprise me if he's got something else planned in place of this mansion, like a career change. Even if this change means kicking us out."

"Still, it's very likely Master's leaving," Snake debated. "I've only been here a while, but it does look like a tiring job on his end. I don't even know how old he is! Maybe he's retiring."

Lucario rolled his eyes. "Let's think about things logically. Master said he decided the mansion's fate with Crazy, so the reason for this has to be something which appeals to Crazy as well. And I doubt that retirement is Crazy's cup of tea. He wouldn't have agreed to _retirement_, Snake."

Snake gave a nonchalant shrug. "It was just an idea. We have no idea how old the hands actually are."

"Even so, Master Hand isn't that sort of character." Ganondorf's words immediately commanded for silence. "He'd stay right to the end with something he created. He doesn't pass as the sort of person who would willingly give it all up."

The image of Master Hand's pale form flashed in Lucas' mind.

"He was looking paler than usual when he came in to announce the news," Lucas remarked without thinking. All eyes were on him, but whether it was out of admiration or criticism he couldn't tell. He didn't like it though.

Look elsewhere, he thought. Please.

"Paler, you say?" his saviour asked him. "Put that down to nerves. In effect, he's throwing away his home. It isn't a nice thing – losing your home."

Lucas was relieved as everyone moved their attention onto Samus.

"It's the closest thing Master's ever come to saying goodbye. He'll never see us again and he would have to continue his life without us. After being with him for such a long time, he thought of us as family rather than fighters. He said so himself, didn't he? He called us all his sons."

If anyone could understand Master Hand's position, it would be Samus. As she whirled her plasma gun round a finger idly, she pondered about her own lost family.

"If this is the case," she continued, "then he was probably forced to make the decision to leave. It's not like Master at all. This mansion isn't shutting on Master's whims. There's something going on. You know, shady stuff."

"It's just like you to think down that route. Why can't you ever think happy? Like a happy retirement?" Snake interrupted. Samus hit the side of his head irritably with the butt of her gun ("Ouch!").

"So you're saying there could be someone behind it?" Lucario said, watching Snake rub his head mulishly.

"I'm only saying it's a possibility," Samus corrected.

"But a very likely possibility." Ganondorf put his hands behind his head.

"My idea's a likely possibility too! Those hands have been in charge for long time, you know," Snake reasoned, but only Lucas was paying any attention. The rest were contemplating the possibility that the situation was a lot more serious than it looked.

"What would someone gain into forcing Master-sama to leave?" Marth suddenly asked.

The circle was still as each member went through their own thoughts. Master created the Mansion, what would anyone gain from it? The Smash matches took place for the entertainment of those wanting to watch and compete. There was nothing wrong about it. And people from other worlds would know if someone else tried to claim his work.

"I have an answer to that, Marth." Heads raised up to listen to Snake's next remark. "He, meaning the intruder, could possibly be after not Master, but us. By removing Master from the picture, they'd be able to get to us a lot easier."

Samus raised an eyebrow. "That's the first sensible comment you've made in a month."

Snake grinned. "Thanks, Samus!"

Lucario rolled his eyes. Only Snake could take an insult and somehow twist it into a compliment.

"Good thinking. The only thing I could come up with was that they wanted to punish Master." The Pokemon lay down on his back, evidently to get more comfortable. "It doesn't sound right but, as Snake said earlier, we have no idea how old the hands are and what enemies they made on the way."

The Gerudo on the sofa yawned. "It's most certainly someone who's involved with Master in some way."

"So this somebody just decides to phone Master one day and tell him to pack his bags?" Lucario questioned as he sat back up again, deciding he couldn't see much laying down.

"No, what's more likely is that they did background research on us first," explained Snake. "Things such as Master's weaknesses, our habits and our history. That sort of information was gathered in advance either for their intentions or so that they can manipulate Master in case he refused the first time."

"Once you get into the right frame of mind, you can actually spout out some pretty useful junk," Samus said fervently. Being praised by Samus occurred once every few months, so Snake valued this compliment. He wasn't going to waste it by saying something stupid.

"The question is, how long has the threat been with us?" Snake said.

Lucario raised a paw. "The threat could have kept their distance and pulled the strings subtly, only when he needed to."

"Chances are this threat was there with us when Master entered the hall," Samus said. She heard Lucario gulp. "Perhaps from the start of the season. You know, he might be one of us. Following on from being forced into leaving, this threat would want to make sure master told the news to us Smashers exactly the way he was supposed to. Or else, face the consequences."

"Like being shot?" Snake asked. She nodded solemnly. "Your theories aren't pessimistic at all, are they?"

"That is true, however much I don't want it to be," Lucario admitted.

The prince shook his head. "It certainly is strange why he's more than happy to admit he's closing the Mansion, but he gives no explanation. There has to be _someone_ behind it."

Lucario grunted his agreement. "No doubt about it."

"It's not just that that's odd," Ganondorf added. "Crazy wasn't trembling or anything like that at all, from what I saw."

"No, that is just not right!" Lucario yelped. He leapt to feet, pointing a finger at Ganondorf. "Crazy Hand may be mad, but he's _not _a terrorist! He wouldn't turn on his own _brother_!"

"He does hide a lot of secrets," Samus pointed out.

"No! I _refuse _to believe it! I'm certain Crazy's not part of it!" Lucario paced in front of the sofa, shaking his outstretched finger for emphasis at Ganondorf as if he was trying to get a stubborn fly off it.

The bounty huntress sighed. "We're not going to get anywhere purely on instincts. Crazy might be behind it, he might not be."

At Samus' significant look of ice, Lucario took his place back on the rug reluctantly.

Lucas could understand where the two were coming from, but he somehow couldn't decide for himself. Could he trust Crazy wasn't part of some secret organisation purely because he was a friend, or should he believe all friends aren't as they seem?

"I can't quite get my head around this myself, but perhaps it would be a lot easier if we just asked Master Hand? I'm sure he'd be willing to talk to us, and even if he doesn't feel like telling us, we can watch his actions and work out something from there." Marth looked round at everyone for their reaction. "For all we know, we could be going in completely the wrong direction."

"An excellent idea, my boy." Ganondorf got to his feet steadily. "We should take action immediately!"

**-- End --**

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**A/N:** Phew, that was a lot of theories. And from this chapter, I don't even know where the problem's all going to stem from :) Only time will tell, readers.

Meanwhile, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave a review on what you thought of this chapter.


	3. Confrontation

**A/N:** Here's chapter 3 of the detective case. This chapter was on the difficult side to write, but I got there! Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!

Thanks goes to Byoshi for beta reading this chapter!

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**-- Chapter 3: Confrontation --**

Perhaps it was because of their odd formation; perhaps it was the unlikely group they had become, but people were not afraid to give them curious glances. Ganondorf was in the lead, unleashing a deadly rhythm with every confident clunk of his heavy iron-rimmed shoes. Behind the Gerudo, the remaining five were clumped together, conversing in hushed tones.

"Confronting Master Hand? Marth, you're an absolute genius," Samus said dryly.

"He is!" Snake agreed earnestly, failing to catch into the sarcasm. "Instead of coming up with all these bizzare theories, it's far more sensible to see what Master has to say first."

Lucario didn't put much effort into hiding his displeasure. He let out a groan and shook his head. "Please, stop the bickering. I got enough of that in Ganondorf's room, I don't need it on the way to Master Hand's office as well."

Lucas could relate to the Pokemon. Ganondorf's room in general was far from cosy, and the constant debating had made the environment even more uncomfortable. Now that he was out of the room, he felt he could do with some quiet time to think, but no one wanted to cooperate.

Marth, on the other hand, seemed oblivious to everything around him. He took out a watch from his pocket and began circling his index finger above its face, deep in thought.

"Come on, confronting Master Hand head on? Wow, he's going to be so thrilled!" Samus rolled her eyes at Snake. "And what are we going to say to him, exactly? 'What the heck's the matter with you?' isn't going to go down particularly well. I think even you know that."

"Hmmm." Snake glanced at Lucario, hoping for some sort of solution.

"Don't look at me," was all he said, suddenly finding the ceiling incredibly fascinating. Lucas shrugged when Snake turned to him next.

"Master Hand said we're leaving the Mansion tomorrow afternoon, right?" Marth said, still holding his watch. "If it's mid afternoon now, we only have twenty hours to sort out this mess! It's not nearly enough. We need to eat and sleep, as well as coming up with some masterplan."

Lucario gaped at him. "Seriously? Master Hand likes to keep things last minute, by the look of it."

"All the more suspicious," Samus muttered, nodding her head seriously. "The quicker we work out the source of the problem, the better."

To her left, Snake was muttering, making himself unheard by turning his body away slightly. "Weren't you saying the complete opposite before?" He was rewarded with Samus' elbow.

"I wasn't saying the idea itself was bad, nitwit. I was more concerned about how we're going to go about all of this. Master Hand's not going to be impressed if a bunch of Smashers burst into his office and demand answers. Perhaps it's just me, but I like to have a plan behind me before I leap into fire."

Snake's mouth opened and closed similar to a fish for several moments, before saying defensively, "It's not like we're going to give him a presentation!"

Lucario agreed with a mild purr. "It's better if we just say what we think, Samus. You know, just winging it and hoping for the best."

Samus glared at him moodily before raising her head defiantly. "It's just not my style at all. Blindly seeking answers without any regard for the consequences."

Snake snorted. "How come you don't attack Lucario? He's the same distance from you as I am." The bounty huntress sighed.

"Lucario just doesn't have the skills or stupidity required to instigate said attack."

"Quit the squawking, parrots. We're here." Ganondorf rapped on the walnut door before stepping back. A bronze unicorn statue by the door proved to be a useful mirror for Samus, who used its glossy surface to tidy her hair. The other four Smashers suddenly felt the urge to look presentable, and dusted down their fronts and stood up straight.

The large door opened and the thumb of a gloved hand curved itself around the door frame.

"Six little parrots paying a visit. I heard you coming. Might want to keep it down, Master's taking a nap. Shall I get some salad and hot chocolate ready for you?" Judging by the thumb's awkward way of twitching every now and then as well as the bizarre greeting, it was Crazy Hand who had opened the door.

The master's brother opened the door wider, inviting the Smashers to come into the office, then began crawling aimlessly round the room.

Lucas had never been into Master Hand's office and, as he expected it to be, it was enormous. It had to occupy two massive hands after all. There were two large armchairs at the head of the room, a table set between them. Presumably, that was where the hands discussed Smash matches and important matters. Smaller, wooden chairs were placed along the width of the table for Smashers to sit on, should they ever feel the need to talk to Master Hand in person.

The walls were highly decorated with various wall hangings and eerie display cabinets. Stag heads, with lifeless eyes, hung alongside beautiful tapestries of elegant patterns and paintings of calm scenery. There was even a long sheet on one wall, where large handprints and fingerprints spanned across its width. Several glass cases were placed along the wall, where some contained china plates and a small rock collection whilst others housed sinister skeletal hands. Lucas couldn't help but wonder if they were very good imitations, or the real thing.

Lucas distracted his attention from these artefacts upon seeing Crazy bang into a doorframe unintentionally, then continue to stumble his way into the next room. The boy only had a few seconds to appreciate the silence before everyone in the room (and most likely people in the corridor too) heard Crazy shout.

"Wake up, brother!" he yelled, before rapid tapping sounds could be heard crawling away.

"I wasn't sleeping in the first place, it was unnecessary to shout at me," came Master Hand's voice from the unknown room. Snake and Samus exchanged a look of concern, and Lucario was struggling to hide a smile. He quickly stopped once Ganondorf gave him a slight nudge.

Master Hand entered the office leisurely, but not in the carefree way he normally had. The hand looked tired and his gliding missed the usual enthusiasm. The six watched the hand as he made his way to one of the armchairs and gingerly sank into it.

Soon after, Ganondorf walked down the room and helped himself to one of the wooden seats at the table. Nervously, the others followed him.

"What is it, everyone?" the hand asked. His tone was flat, almost distant.

"We want to know what's going on," Ganondorf began. "We want to know whether the Mansion's actually closing, and we want to fight back for it." Master Hand remained still as the Gerudo proceeded. "The Mansion's our home! You can't just throw it away without our consent!"

"That's right!" Lucario agreed. "We've made friends here, and the thought of leaving, this whole Mansion being gone forever…it's unbearable."

"Don't give up, Master-sama!" Marth exclaimed.

Master Hand silenced any further complaints with a wag of his index finger. He stretched his fingers out before speaking. "There's more to it than you think."

"Then _tell_ us! We're here to help," Snake demanded, slamming a hand into his palm. "We can--"

Snake never finished his sentence, since Crazy Hand had whizzed to the table in such a hurry he knocked the mercenary unconscious. Everyone watched wordlessly as the mercenary slumped onto the table, out for the count. Crazy was balancing various dishes and drinks on his fingers, each of which were in danger of falling over from Crazy's occasional twitches.

"Sorry to keep you waiting! Now, who ordered, the…" Crazy lowered his index finger onto the table. "The…what's this called?"

"Enough with the role playing, they're not staying long." If Master Hand's spitefulness was meant to send Crazy away, it didn't work at all.

"Lobster! That was it!" he shouted triumphantly. "Who ordered it, eh? It was you, no?" He brought the lobster to Samus' stunned face.

Master Hand sighed, swatting away his brother lazily. Crazy seemed to get the gist nevertheless, for he abruptly finished his babbling and went back to the kitchen with the dishes still on his body, untouched.

"It would be better if you let the matter rest." The leader of Smash Mansion pointed to the door. "I recommend that you leave before you regret dwelling into it."

The Smashers had no choice but to leave the office. Ganondorf led the way, being the unsaid leader. Lucas, Samus and Marth followed him gloomily, the latter holding the door open for Lucario, who had the job of carrying the unconscious mercenary out. As soon as they were all out, Master Hand slammed the door in their faces.

"Tch!" Samus scowled immediately. "_That_ went well!" In her anger, she was very tempted to kick Snake's limp form on Lucario's back, but she refrained from doing this guilty pleasure.

"We learnt something though," Marth reasoned. "Master-sama doesn't want us to get involved."

Lucario gave a contemptuous snort, shifting his shoulders so Snake slid off onto the tiled floor. "Probably because we're not good enough to know rather than because he cares for us. What I can't understand is why he treated Crazy like that." He glowered at the walnut door.

"I know we're all angry about the outcome, but do you mind if we keep all that aside? It's not going to help," Lucas chipped in. Heads round him began to nod, and he was thankful they weren't looking at him.

"This makes things a lot more complicated," Ganondorf mused. "We give up now, the Mansion will be gone tomorrow. We keep going, Master's going to do anything to keep us away." He rubbed his forehead broodingly.

"I reckon we should keep going," Samus spoke up. "We've already made it this far. We should see to it right to the very end."

"That's the spirit!" Ganondorf exclaimed, clapping a hand on Samus' shoulder in enthusiasm. "We've got to keep going! Anyone else with us?"

"I'm in," Marth said determinedly. Lucas smiled and nodded vigorously. After much thought, Lucario raised a hand retiringly, using his other free hand to make one of Snake's arms wave in the air madly. As much as he tried to remain serious, he couldn't help but crack a smirk as people round him laughed.

The laughter ceased as Samus cleared her throat. "To track down who exactly is behind this, we need a plan."

"This again," Lucario muttered.

"Okay, I think we can narrow down out culprits to two types:an old friend of Master's, or a Smasher." Ganondorf arched an eyebrow. "With there being two sorts of people the culprit could be, how can we safely assume it's one over the other?"

"We can get that information easily. I have an idea," Samus remarked nonchalantly, glancing behind her. "But we should get going. It's not really safe to discuss it here." She took an arm of Snake's and pulled it over her shoulder. Marth ran to Samus' side and hoisted the other arm.

However, even with two people, it was impossible to lift Snake up the stairs without breaking his feet. Samus unhooked Snake's arm from her shoulder whilst Marth carefully placed the mercenary on the bottom step, ensuring each limb wasn't stuck out in an awkward position.

"So winging it won't work. Tell us a bit of your idea at least, Samus," Lucario said, leaning on the banister of the staircase. The halls were empty now, and it gave off a feeling of abandonment. The Pokemon looked hesitantly round the hallway before making eye contact with Samus, who smiled.

"We're going to break into Master Hand's office."

"W-_what_?" Marth yelped, not even bothering to keep the volume down. No one shushed him though; Marth had spoken on their behalf, really.

"Smasher or not, there's got to be some sort of physical evidence," Ganondorf thought aloud, tapping his chin pensively. The flickering light of candles made this action rather creepy as there were more shadows than distinctive features.

"But…that's going to be impossible!" Lucario stammered. "I mean, two hands are going to be very difficult to fool, and if you think that's a problem, then think of the size of the office! The evidence could be anywhere! We're looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Give me some time to think. Trust me, we're going to need a plan. I should be able to come up with something." The bounty huntress twirled a finger round one of her tresses. "Let's meet back in Ganondorf's room tomorrow morning." She looked reproachfully at Snake before adding, "And someone tell Snake that when he wakes up."

**-- End --**

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**A/N:** Believe it or not, I've managed to come up with what's the matter ;p Byoshi gave me a bit of help, so once again, I owe even _more_ to her. That's for the next time though. Meanwhile, please leave a review on what you thought of this chapter :)


	4. The Bizarre Truth

**A/N:** This one finally reveals what the hands' problem is. This is the one you're been waiting very long for, so enjoy the chapter! I'm sorry it's so long, but there was a lot to fit in and I had a massive writer's block. Please enjoy it regardless!

This chapter was also beta read by Byoshi. Thanks!

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**-- Chapter 4: The Bizarre Truth --**

"Never really thought this mansion would have a final day." Captain Falcon flashed a grim smile at Samus walking in time with him down the corridor. "It can't _all _be bad though. We'll see each other again, right?" He brought her hands to his face.

"You wouldn't know where to find me. When this mansion goes, I'll be roaming once again," she retorted immediately.

They passed the entrance to Master Hand's office, then the bronze guardian near it. Samus prised her fingers from Falcon's and gently let them rest on the butt of her gun. As she did so, she gave a thumbs-up to the silhouettes seated in the unicorn's shadow, discreet in this gesture so that Falcon wouldn't notice.

Falcon's face fell. "Our worlds are virtually the same. I want to show you everything in Mute City there that's worth seeing. Just the two of us."

"mute City doesn't interest me," she remarked coldly, opening one of the doors to the hall. She looked round the hall, where people were either having breakfast or just talking. She could only catch snippets of their conversations, but it was enough.

"It would be good to return to my friends—"

"I want to get back to normal work—"

Falcon turned to Samus. "My reason was because I wanted to spend more time with you. And by returning to our worlds, we can know more about each other without Smash matches and so many people getting in the way." He smiled hesitantly, waiting for her response.

But she couldn't reply so readily this time. Somehow, Falcon's words had made her uncertain of what to think now. She had no real home to return to, but he was practically dangling his in front of her. Maybe the Mansion's close wouldn't be so bad if she left with Falcon rather than leaving for that familiar world of nothingness.

Before she could answer, there was an ominous explosion and the glorious ceiling caved in. The elaborate chandeliers crashed down and screams could be heard over the tremendous noise. She thought she could hear Falcon calling her name, but the dust was blocking her view so she couldn't get to him even if she tried.

"I'll get Master Hand!" Samus spluttered. She had no idea whether Falcon had heard, but she hoped he did. She crawled her way out of the debris back to the hall, where someone offered their hand to her. She swatted it away irritably. It wasn't just because she detested chivalry, but also because she knew whose hand it was.

"You might as well blow up Master Hand's front door, since I don't think he heard," Samus snapped as her eyes met Snake's.

Snake gave a light hearted shrug. "I recall you asking for something to occupy Master Hand long enough to put our plan into motion?"

Samus got up to her feet and rolled her eyes at Snake. "So you blow up a massive bomb _right by Master Hand's office_? The plan was to bomb the wall or something, not have the ceiling fall on our heads! You've probably injured someone! You're such an idiot!" She pointed into the hall. "If someone's buried in there, it's all your fault. Now do something about it."

Without waiting for Snake to reply, she ran down the corridor to get Master Hand. She smiled to herself. Everything was going according to plan.

* * *

The corridor was silent and not a single Smasher was in sight. The candles which burned fiercely the previous night had been snuffed out as sunlight poured through the windows. The late morning was welcoming for some, but for some Smashers, it was one they wished had never come.

This very group of people was hunched in the corner beside a bronze statue of a unicorn, fighting for room. The shadow it cast wasn't enough to hide them, so the three people sitting there were simply a mess of limbs.

"How long has it been since Samus gave the sign…? Ow! Can't you keep that spike _away _from me? If my arms weren't so stuck, I'd gladly give you more room," one voice hissed.

"It's not my fault I can't see!" another snapped back. "Ganondorf's suffocating me with his cloak!"

"Shut it, or else I'll suffocate you with my bare hands," hissed the final voice. "Here comes Samus. Now keep it down!" They shrank back into the shadows simultaneously. The sound of Samus' hurried footsteps grew louder, but she was too busy rapping on Master Hand's door to notice a pair of trainers sticking out from behind the statue.

"Master Hand! We have trouble!" Samus yelled, banging on the door so hard it was a wonder it was still standing. The door suddenly flung open and Master Hand whooshed out into the corridor.

"What kind of trouble is it, Samus? Lead the way." There was the sound of the heavy walnut door closing, then the ringing echoes of boots and jangling equipment.

Lucas poked his head round the statue just in time to see the pair turn the corner. "All clear!"

Lucas was soon flattened as Ganondorf crawled his way out, trying to detangle himself from the mess. Seconds passed and Lucario fell flat on his face. Ganondorf was the first to stand up.

"Finally!" he commented, taking a deep breath of relief. "Snake sure took his time. How long does it take to set up just a few explosives and trigger them?" Ganondorf dusted down his sleeves over Lucario. Lucario didn't like it, regardless of it possibly being an overlook on Ganondorf's part. He snarled furiously as he got up, eyeing Ganondorf with dying patience.

The Gerudo didn't pay any attention, but followed Lucas instead to the Hands' headquarters. Lucario followed and reluctantly, stuck to the plan. He closed his eyes, the black appendages flying out and fluttering slightly as he used his Wave to see through the door.

"It's fine," he murmured. Ganondorf rested a hand on the handle and pushed the door open without knocking. Lucas snuck into the room afterwards, Lucario following once he had checked the corridor was empty.

They had only taken a few steps in before they realised there was something wrong.

Crazy Hand was humming as he dusted the paintings on the wall. The artefacts in the room, regardless of it being the Hands' last day too, were left exactly as they were yesterday. The room itself seemed to have been spring cleaned, as each shiny surface seemed to jump out at the three, shinier than ever.

Ganondorf fired a glare at Lucario. "You said it was _fine_. What, your aura isn't a hundred percent accurate?"

The Pokemon gave a nonchalant shrug, replying, "He's_ not _a terrorist." Without waiting for Ganondorf's next words, he approached Crazy Hand. "What are you doing?"

Crazy turned round, going rigid as he saw the guests. He hastily dropped his duster and in an attempt to steady himself, he fell flat onto the floor. Lucario tapped him with a paw.

"You scared me, the whole lot of you." Crazy got up, testing each finger gingerly, as if he had fallen sixty floors. "You do know it's rude to interrupt the cleaner's work, no?"

Lucario nodded his head instinctively before shaking his head at the 'no' at the end. He got very confused and decided to give up altogether with a wave of a paw.

Crazy Hand continued. "You're still pursuing what's the cause of this closure, no? I must warn you though, I don't think you will be able to handle it," the hand advised seriously. Then, he snickered. "Handle! Get it? _Hand_-le!"

The three looked at each other hesitantly. Joke aside, was it a rash action to delve into something a bit too unknown? Did they really want to know the true meaning of the sudden announcement? Slowly, each member came to the same conclusion.

Suddenly, Crazy Hand slammed himself onto the floor several times excitedly. "Attention tourists!" he called to the already-listening Smashers. "We have a lot to see, a lot to see, so we can't possibly waste time! Stick together now and don't get lost! I won't be to blame if you do!"

The three followed Crazy Hand nervously to the far end of the room where the large hand painting was. It was very colourful with the aimless dabs of paint, and Ganondorf could tell it was old by the curling corners of the paper.

"You and Master did this," Ganondorf mused, looking at each different aspect of the painting. "Master told me it was decades ago."

Crazy floated up to the picture to observe it closer. "Decades ago, he said? Hah!" he said contemptuously. "Master's losing his memory. How terrible." The Smashers watched him drift back down to the floor and drum his fingers. "We did this together _centuries_ ago, way back when I was thirteen and he was seventeen. You might think we were too old for something like this."

Lucario smiled as he turned his attention back to the painting. "Is this a childhood memory for you?"

Crazy gave a thumbs up, still on the floor. "But...even when we were young, we didn't get on. See how the picture's been painted to have two halves?"

Now that Crazy mentioned it, Lucas could see the emptiness down the middle. The left hand side was presumably done by Crazy, since each hand print seemed to overlap and the blazing red and black seemed to stand out more than any other colour, wacky and loud in its artistic strokes. The right hand side had pastel colours, and Master had used all sorts of shapes like his knuckles and his wrist. Lucas saw Lucario nod next to him.

"Moving on." Crazy turned round and imitated a slug by tucking his fingers under and shuffling across. Lucas took one last look at the picture before following the hand. He paused at the glass cabinet containing the china plates and rock collection.

"Very simple things," Lucario mused. "What's this got to do with you and Master?"

"More importantly, what's this got to do with the culprit?" Ganondorf muttered. He folded his arms sulkily, sighing heavily. "I didn't come here for a grand tour of the Hands' weird tastes in decor."

"You're thinking Master Hand took interest in these, no? And that those creepy things are mine?" He pointed first to the stag heads, then to the skeletal hands in the glass cabinet further down. He gave a small laugh. "It's something quite different."

Lucario tilted his head. "Is it all…the other way round then?" He couldn't imagine Crazy taking interest in collecting something as ordinary as china plates or having a hobby of collecting precious rocks like a child. He was far too crazy for a hobby as ordinary as that.

"In between," Crazy replied. "The stag heads and the stones are mine, and the china plates and those hands belong to Master. When we were in our mid fifties, I was highly interested in hunting and Master was equally as interested in sculpting."

"Mid _fifties_? You are old, Crazy," Lucario commented.

"He did say the painting back there was done centuries ago," Lucas reasoned, offering him a weak smile.

"Centuries ago? So you _are _going to retirement?" Lucario narrowed his eyes, daring Crazy to reply. His paws clenched and unclenched themselves. "If that's the case, couldn't you give the Mansion to someone else?"

"We're only 539 years old!" Crazy said laughing, almost derisively, as though this was common knowledge. "Hands are expected to live at least 3000 years!"

Lucario's mouth dropped. He was about to question more of how aging affected hands, but Ganondorf suddenly said, "So what does this stuff have to do with the culprit?" He looked at the items in the cabinets pointedly.

"Even if I've already told you Master and I had hobbies which were typically meant to be the other way round, you still don't believe me, no?" Crazy questioned. He saw each of them nod. "Master was highly creative, as you know. The hands and plates were what he made. They may seem a normal size to you, but for hands, making such minuscule things can be a pain in the knuckles."

"So if this is Master's work, what have these other things got to do with you?" Lucas said.

"I mentioned it already," Crazy said tiredly. "How many times must a hand repeat himself before he's heard? I enjoyed hunting whatever I could. This stag you see here was my first kill. It was something I was very proud of. And this one was one which took an absolute age to find and shoot."

Lucario wrinkled his nose as he soon realised the heads were the real thing. The stench was barely noticeable since time had passed since then, but it was still there. Lucas felt his stomach clench at the sight of them and found he couldn't look at them for too long. In stark contrast, Ganondorf didn't even flinch.

Crazy ignored the discomfort and carried on. "That rock collection was a passing trend. I enjoyed visiting volcanoes and gathered rocks from the active ones. You ask me about whichever one you want to know about and I would be able to tell you which volcano and when. I doubt Master even remembers information like that about his own works."

Ganondorf raised his eyebrows. "So basically, this room is your achievements summed up."

"That's not all of it. There's more in the other rooms if you want to look," Crazy offered, twitching as he waited for their answer.

Lucario opened his mouth in excitement, but he was once again stopped by Ganondorf.

"What's all this meant to show?" the Gerudo demanded.

If Crazy could smile, he would be doing so now. "Don't you see? In the beginning, we were two separate hands, having two separate lives. As we lived on, we became more confused about what our separate personalities were meant to be. It's still happening now."

"You can say that again," Ganondorf interrupted quickly. "You've got me confused already." Lucas and the Pokemon smiled apologetically having the same sentiment.

"That's what you get for missing most of the tour," the hand told them irritably. "But if you want to go for more recent times, I'll skip that bit. Master wanted to create a Mansion for fighters to meet each other. I openly agreed. The first season began, so that people with true intentions could spar with each other and make friends."

The first season had begun when the Mansion was brand new, and heroes from around the universe were invited. The Gerudo knew that well. There were twelve places to be filled, and the members decided were either seen as lucky or heroic. It was then that it clicked with Ganondorf.

"The first season only invited heroes," Ganondorf mused. "There was no room for villains."

Crazy laughed, slowly turning to face Ganondorf. "The first season served as a tester, you could say. Even _I_ was excluded from the first season. We didn't invite villains for two reasons: one, it wouldn't be appealing for the audience to watch and two, the villains would hate the heroes even more for having something they deserved too. You felt like that, no?"

"Then what about the second and third season? Villains were allowed to compete then," Lucas asked curiously.

"We accepted villains of all sorts to compete, from Mewtwo to Wolf. Even Wario. Villains who had the desire to crush their opponent no matter what. We believed the Mansion would be the ultimate battlefield, where it was clear-cut who were villains and who were heroes." Crazy Hand sighed. "However, as time went by, everyone made friends with everyone. The line between the two classes blurred, even between me and Master Hand. And that wasn't supposed to happen."

Lucas couldn't believe it. Was that the true purpose of the Mansion? To strengthen the rivalries between rivals and villains? Was it not to make friends, like how it was for the heroes in the first season?

Lucario leaned against the glass cabinet lazily. "Why are you telling us this? What has good and evil got to do with it?"

The hand spasmed. "Good and evil's everything! It was there right from the start. However, by allowing you to mingle and get to know each other, the very purpose of the Mansion dissolved, and even us hands forgot. We were just happy to see everyone get on."

"I'm still missing something here," Ganondorf hinted, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Of course, of course," Crazy said unhurriedly. "Four days ago, one Smasher came here and reminded us of the Mansion's true purpose. Not intentionally, mind you," he added carelessly as Lucas and Ganondorf opened their mouths to protest. "He was just concerned about how much villains had changed since they begun. He commented about you in particular, Ganondorf."

"W-what? Talking behind my back, I'm going to strangle him! Who was it, Crazy? Tell me!"

The hand simply jolted, not listening to a word Ganondorf was saying. "He said you've been following Jigglypuff everywhere."

Crazy roared with laughter and Ganondorf, fuming, launched into a tirade of angry protests. Lucario had already covered his ears, since they were sensitive enough already. Lucas tapped Crazy lightly, who finished laughing in an instant. Ganondorf was still streaming annoyed insults ("Lies! Why would I follow a pretty puffball...I mean a er..."), so Lucario jabbed a spiked hand into his back to make him quieten down.

"So Crazy," Lucas began, "if this Mansion's closing on your and Master's agreement, why aren't you letting it carry on? Maybe we like making friends here, whether that was intentional or not."

Lucario nodded. "Because of the Mansion, people have gotten to know villains are still people at the end of the day. It's helped them to see past their wildest imagination." He looked down at the floor, smiling grimly. "That's why I admire you – even now. You're not crazy."

Crazy snorted. "I'm not someone to be admired. Master said to me once: 'As much as we both don't like it, you're the face of the devil and I'm the face of the angel. People depend on the angels more than the devils'." Crazy slammed a fist on the floor in rage. "Devils shouldn't be admired. We do wrong things to make the heroes look better. Bringing everyone together _wasn't _supposed to happen."

Crazy got off the floor abruptly, and began to circle the table for no real reason. His speed increased gradually, and all Lucario could do was watch.

"So the closure of the Mansion was to bring that back, huh? The mansion's just a reminder of good and evil." Ganondorf lowered his gaze in thought. He had once craved that power, but that seemed like a distant dream to him. What he wanted right now was to stay here, with everyone. The Mansion was his home now.

Crazy Hand suddenly stopped in his tracks, realising the three were still gathered by the glass cabinet. "I'm not reading out anymore bedtime stories." He floated down at full speed and halted a few inches from Lucario's snout. "You should go to sleep now, children. Go to your—"

With a final twitch, Crazy slumped onto the floor. Lucario stared at him for a few moments, before squatting down next to him. Ganondorf and Lucas just watched in horror. What had happened?

"…Crazy?"

**-- End --**

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**A/N:** That was a ridiculously long chapter. Sorry about that, but I needed to cram everything in. So now you know the ballistic reason. The culprit and the outcome will be decided in the next chapter! Please say what you thought of the chapter in a review! I would highly appreciate it!


	5. Falling into Place

**A/N:** Here it is, the final chapter! With the problem being revealed in the previous chapter, this one focuses on the suspect and the outcome. Please enjoy this last chapter of the fic! And a very long one at that…

Thanks go to Byoshi for beta reading the chapter!

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**-- Chapter 5: Falling into place --**

When he knocked on the door, he was expecting the eager greeting from Crazy Hand, just like any other day. He did not expect the silence as he waited by the door. The seconds stretched to minutes, and Marth began to worry.

He opened the door slowly, poking his head round the gap. The sight made him burst into the room without a second thought.

"What happened?" Marth exclaimed immediately, stomping up to Lucario, who was on his haunches next to Crazy's limp body. Marth stopped directly in front of him, one hand on his hip expectantly.

Lucario shook his head, dazed. "I don't know," he began. "He just suddenly fell down."

Marth sighed tiredly. "Master-sama asked me to tell Crazy-sama the leaving ceremony is to start soon, but there's no point in me talking to him when he's out cold." He frowned seriously, furrowing his eyebrows in thought. "He better not have been poisoned."

The air became chilly when from the prince's left, Ganondorf laughed derisively. "How do you suggest hands eat? I don't see a mouth on any part of their body."

"Then what could have happened to him?" Marth questioned, cocking his head slightly. Lucas, who hid in Ganondorf's shadow, gave a shrug.

"He could just be sleeping. He was spinning around the table earlier and he did explain a lot to us," Lucas reasoned. He looked back to Crazy, who hadn't even twitched. "He may just be tired."

"That's true," Lucario said quietly, moving a steady paw to one of Crazy Hand's fingers. "He could just be playing dead." He gave a relieved smile as the hand twitched upon his paw's touch.

"He's not a very good player then, is he?" Ganondorf mused, crossing his arms reproachfully as Crazy's laughter broke out. "Making us worry like that…Come on, Crazy, get up. The game's up." He made to help Lucario rouse him, but they weren't surprised to hear Crazy's protests.

"It's still midnight. You can pick the flowers yourself," the hand grumbled tiredly. The few moments of trying to get him to stand up didn't prove to be helpful, since he soon fell asleep properly.

"What information did you find out?" Marth asked curiously to Ganondorf, who had given up trying to lift Crazy onto his fingers and was now sitting down on the carpet.

"What were you saying about the leaving ceremony? Is it that close already?" Ganondorf put both of his hands behind his head, watching Marth shift uncomfortably.

"Unless we figure something out soon, we're not going to be here much longer," he murmured grimly. "No one else is even trying and time is running short. We wasted our time trying to get this plan of Samus' to work."

Lucario groaned. "The plan wouldn't have taken so long if Master Hand felt like cooperating." He pounded the ground with a fist irritably. "And now, everything's just…going to go."

Lucas walked over to the Pokemon and patted his shoulder consolingly. He felt it relax slightly, but the aura of worry was still evident. "There's still time. As long as we can get that person to take back his words, then I'm sure they'd be able to persuade Master Hand to stop acting so rashly."

Marth grinned. "So we find the suspect, persuade them, then it's up to them?" He brushed his fringe out of his eyes unhurriedly, regardless of the situation. "So? What clues do we have?"

Ganondorf tilted his head slightly. "We were talking to _Crazy_. We didn't get a lot of information that wasn't gibberish. All that we know is that it's a bloke."

Lucario rolled his eyes. "We found out a lot more than that. It's a Smasher, and he spoke to the Hands about villains being too good or something like that." Lucario didn't notice Marth's gaping mouth as he proceeded. "Then there's this unreasonable twist saying good and evil should be separated."

Lucas glanced up at the hand painting on the far end of the wall. He could understand where the pair of them were coming from, but why did it have to turn out like this? Why couldn't everyone just get along where they were without striving for power or revenge? Why did everything have to turn round to keep the sides apart?

"Was it about that?" Marth gradually backed away. "Was it about that?" he asked again, shaking his head in shock.

"Marth…?" Ganondorf narrowed his eyes, watching him beadily as the prince continued to walk backwards.

"No," Marth whispered, lifting a hand to his temple. "If I had known it would come to this, I would _never _have made that appointment." His wide eyes met everyone's in turn, but they all stared back at him blankly.

"What are you--" Lucario started, but he stopped abruptly. "Don't tell me _you _were the one."

Marth didn't have to reply; nor did he have the time to. Ganondorf had gotten up in a flash, grabbed hold of his cloak and pinned him against the wall, face inches from his. The prince could feel anger bubble in the Gerudo before him and rise into his glistening eyes. The hand on the cloak's clasp was shaking slightly, the elbow digging into his side mercilessly.

"So it was you who thought I was stalking Jigglypuff?" Ganondorf snarled. His face was contorted with rage, but it looked as though he wasn't waiting for an answer. "I don't like her, so stop spreading such absurd rumours!"

Marth couldn't help but crack a smile. "It wasn't just me who noticed. It doesn't take a genius to work it out."

Ganondorf still kept a firm gaze on him as he loosened his grip reluctantly.

"Do you think that by taking my words back, things will go back to normal?" the prince directed to Lucario and Lucas, both suddenly defensive.

Lucario shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to give it a try. With it being so close to the ceremony, there's no choice but to leap straight into it." He stood up.

"I guess we should give it our all," Ganondorf commented, his eyes still on Marth. "Especially _you_. You made this whole mess."

The Altean looked down hesitantly. "I didn't mean it. I was just concerned with how villains were…I didn't think it would come to this." He gave a slight gasp as Lucas tugged on his cloak.

"We know." The boy beamed up at the prince, eyes shimmering and his hand closed round the bundle of cloth. "I'm sure everything will turn out fine."

Ganondorf strode past the two, making his way to the door. He opened it, turning back to everyone in the room. "We better get a move on then," he said sourly before turning on his heel and disappearing from view.

"You should both go." Lucario jerked to Crazy Hand still on the floor, smiling very slightly. "I'll wake him up."

Marth nodded once, before breaking into a run out of the office, Lucas still clinging to his cape. The boy soon lost his breath and couldn't hold on, subsequently letting go. He watched the prince continue running to the hall and push past Ganondorf, before retracing his steps down the corridor to where Lucario and Crazy were.

"Master-sama!" Marth shouted as he entered the hall. Or, what was left of it. It had been chaos at the time, trying to find everyone and shifting bits of ceiling to get a clearer view through the immense dust. Glass from the chandeliers were scattered hazardously across the debris, inviting someone to cut themselves on it.

But now, the majority of the mess had been swept to one side. To the far left, Marth spotted the hand with the other Smashers look up slightly. Now that Master had sorted through the mess, it looked like no one was hurt. There was still a vast amount of rubble scattered across the floor, so it took Marth some time to clamber over the bits of ceiling and glass to where Master stood.

"I see Crazy's not with you," the hand pointed out once Marth had reached him, panting. His fingers floated centimetres from the remains of the ceiling, occasionally brushing it lightly.

Marth noticed the flat tone, as if he was speaking only because he had to. "Is it true?" he burst out, successfully getting the attention of the Smashers around him.

Sonic shushed the plumbers he was previously bragging to and brought a hand to his ear. Samus, sat on a broken beam in between Falcon and Snake, raised her head slightly at Marth's voice. Even Dedede, one of the noisiest voices in the Mansion, had heard the prince and covered the mouth nearest to him hurriedly, as if his mouth was there. The victim happened to be Pit.

"Is it true?" he repeated, aware everyone was listening. He knew he had to continue, even if this was the case. "The reason why the Mansion's closing?"

He tried to ignore the hushed whispers around him ('There they go again' and 'When can we go home?', mainly) as he gazed into the central knuckle of Master Hand guiltily. He had no idea where his eyes were, but he had assumed a long time ago that that was the best place to look. It was the place that was nearest to his eye level.

The hand merely swayed, as if it was in water. Marth was afraid he wouldn't answer, but then he said, "Yes Marth, it's true." The hand turned away from the Altean to face the main Smashers grouped together. "We thought it was better for everyone."

Snake got up shakily, resting a hand on Samus' shoulder for support. Impressively, she didn't snap at his amiable gesture but instead narrowed her eyes at Master Hand. "Just what is this about, Master?" the mercenary directed to his back.

"I told you not to delve into the problem," he muttered sadly, fingers skimming the floor rubble again.

"But the Mansion's problem is our problem as much as yours!" a voice boomed from the other end of the room. Ganondorf stuck his elbows out as he trudged up the mess confidently, not using his hands at all for the extra effort, something Marth had to do when he clambered over the ruins. Marth noticed a small movement at the door once Ganondorf was on the same platform as them.

Master Hand looked away. "As the leaders, we decided the fate of the Mansion and its residents right from the beginning. Closing it down is the best thing to do." He winced as he heard the Gerudo roar.

"No! Closing it down shouldn't be something only you get to decide! It's our right too!" Ganondorf glowered at every Smasher, whose eyes were transfixed by the drama. "Don't you all think this Mansion's ours? Don't you think choosing our fate should be our right?"

Blank expressions stared back at Ganondorf's fierce expression. The silence stretched as each Smasher pondered his words; was returning home without a complaint the right thing to do?

"I think it's our right," one voice spoke up. Snake grinned sheepishly as each face turned to him, waiting for him to explain himself. "I mean, I love it here."

Right here, Snake wanted to add. Next to Samus, with his hand still on her shoulder.

"I want to know the reason at least," Captain Falcon demanded. "There has to be a valid reason, right? And I'm sure most of you feel the same way as I do when I say this, but I had no idea what Marth was talking about earlier on."

Marth looked away. Perhaps it was better like that, not knowing what the source of the problem was.

There were very slight nods in the crowd, but they soon stopped as the large form of Crazy Hand soured over them frantically. The Smashers below watched the hand make several wild circles and sharp swerves before losing altitude.

"Here we are: Highwayman's Cave!" Crazy firmly placed his fingertips on the rubble and lowered his wrist to let his two passengers off. Lucas slid off the side, before looking back at Lucario still sat on Crazy.

"…Never again," he murmured, a paw rubbing the side of his head to ease the growing headache. Crazy laughed, Lucario sliding off as the hand raised his fingers like a horse.

"You don't have to worry now – you won't be seeing me ever again," he replied through his laughter, sounding a bit too casual. Lucario's mouth dropped open in shock. Crazy's words hit him like a hammer.

"I-I…n-no, we have to see each other…" Lucario stammered, but the hand couldn't hear him as he continued to laugh hysterically. The banging of his side against the floor rung in Lucario's ears ominously, even though the lack of a roof made the thumping echo less than it seemed.

Master Hand was relieved about his brother's intrusion, and lay down with his fingers spread out and palm facing upwards. "We need to send you home. Who's first?"

It was not only Lucas who shook his head when Red stepped forward from the crowd. Lucario's ears flopped in sadness and Samus' look hardened. Beside her, Snake gritted his teeth and even Ganondorf had to look away.

Was this really happening?

"I'll go," the Pokemon trainer said bravely, but his voice wavered with clear hesitance. He approached the hand cautiously, all eyes on him. As he got nearer, he began to wonder: What was he supposed to do?

As if the hand had read his mind, he folded his index finger into his palm, telling the teenager wordlessly to step on there. Red understood and by using the hand's thumb as a place to grab onto, he lifted himself into Master Hand's palm.

The Smashers watched the whole ordeal, waiting with baited breath for what would happen next. Then they saw it: the hand's fingers closed round Red's body, squeezing him out like a rag. Several mouths opened in horror, others gazed on with either worry or excitement.

Soon after it began, Master Hand relaxed and spread out his fingers easily, leaving an empty spot where Red was seconds ago. As casually as he would say it was his birthday next week, Master said, "Next."

Dedede stood up this time. "Is it that simple? Then it's nothing to be afraid of." The king laughed nervously, the hand holding his mallet shaking.

"Over here then, my pet vulture." Crazy got himself into the same position as his brother, trying to keep as still as possible when the penguin clambered onto him. His fingers twitched slightly.

Then, he too disappeared in a similar fashion to Red.

By now, people knew what they had to do. The Smashers who weren't already standing got up, either giving last hugs to their friends or talking about where they were supposed to go.

"There's no 'pattern', I'm telling you!" Bowser roared at the blue puffball by his feet. It was all of a sudden noticeable how different their height was.

"Yes, there is. Good people go to Master, the bad go to Crazy." Meta Knight glanced round at the queues now for the two hands, where the line for the older brother was much longer. "The question is, where do _we _lie?"

Lucas shook his head upon hearing the two squabble. He watched the lines of Smashers waiting to go back to their home world for a little bit longer, before turning to Lucario for some comfort. However the Pokemon's eyes were misty with mixed emotions.

"Going back. It's something we can't stop now," he muttered, his ears still hanging loosely by the side of his face. His sombre gaze shifted slightly towards the boy.

"B-but why? Why does it have to turn out like this?" He could feel the stinging of tears in his eyes, brimming at the eyelids and threatening to fall. He clenched his fists in rage. This was what the hands were doing them, crushing everything they had, everything they ever _would_ have. The future of the Mansion was going to crumble with them, like a crisp lead in a clenched fist.

Lucas glanced up when he heard Lucario's feet scuff the floor. The Pokemon's eyes were still filled with sadness, but there was a sense of determination as he made his way towards Master Hand's queue. He was stopped midway by Lucas, who had wrapped his arms around just one of his, hanging there desperately.

"Please, Lucario," he begged. The tears which he had been trying to hold back rolled down his cheeks, some of the salty water catching onto the Pokemon's fur. "We can't leave now. We just can't."

Lucario looked away hastily, as if looking at the boy any longer would set him off too. Without a word, he prised his arm free and continued his way to the other Smashers without a backwards glance.

The blonde wiped his tears with the back of his hand, but it didn't make much of a difference. He stared at his hands, as if they would be able to change everything for him.

Lucario didn't care about the Mansion anymore. Samus seemed to find enough comfort knowing she could visit Falcon at any time she wanted. Marth had already given up hope of trying to set right his mistake, knowing Master Hand would never listen. Snake decided that staying with Samus in their last few moments was enough for him. And Ganondorf had suddenly lost his passionate self.

Everything had slipped away. Each member of their group had decided returning home was the best thing to do in the end.

Lucas flinched as he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. "I love this Mansion," Ganondorf mused above him. Lucas kept his downcast eyes on his hands, still pondering. "Remember down in that corner? That was where you cried when you lost your first Smash match."

Lucas forced a smile as followed the Gerudo's gaze. "Yeah. Ike was the only one who comforted me, saying there's always next time." He looked past the hands, past the destruction into his own memories, back when the ceiling was still intact and the room bustled with never-ending activity. "Remember when Olimar tried to sneak into the kitchens to get seconds for his Pikmin?"

"Yeah, he was kicked out. No one knows who does all the cooking here."

Many had assumed the cooking was done by either the Alloys or the hands themselves. Others that were keener to solve this mystery had tried to sneak a peek in their own various ways. None were successful.

"Do you remember one lunchtime, when Fox had no idea what he was doing and managed to drown R.O.B. in coke?" Ganondorf asked next, snapping Lucas out of his thoughts of the mysteries of Smash Mansion that will never be revealed.

"I remember," he said distractedly, watching Ness disappear from sight in Master Hand's grasp.

Ganondorf's eyebrows furrowed, lifting his hand off Lucas' shoulder. He thought he was going to leave him, but was stunned when Ganondorf pulled him into a hug. He didn't mind the coldness of the chest plate, nor the hardness of the metal. Tears streaming down more rapidly than before, he gripped onto Ganondorf's sides as if it was the only thing he could do. Hold onto everything he could reach.

The warlock brought a hand onto the boy's head. He had never felt this strong connection with anyone back in Gerudo Valley. The tribe there were all women, and that was a curse and a blessing for Ganondorf. But Lucas had somehow become his responsibility, someone who needed a parental figure. He could have been that parent. He closed his eyes, patting the boy's head and holding his back reassuringly.

After a long time, Lucas whispered, "Will you miss her?"

"Yeah," was his reply. He didn't even need to see Jigglypuff in Master Hand's palm to know she was going. He could see it all in his head: her wide eyes, her perfect curl. "I never said I loved her."

Ganondorf could feel the boy try to hug him tighter, round the waist rather than simply at his sides. "I'm sure she knew," he said convincingly. "You'll meet her again."

Deciding enough was enough, Lucas gave up on trying to embrace Ganondorf fully and backed away. Ganondorf's arms hung at his sides again. The two exchanged grim smiles, their eyes as miserable as the other's. Somehow, there was a connection between them that wasn't there a few days ago. If they had gotten to know each other earlier, they could have known more about their past, their fears, their aspirations…

"Come along, buttercups!" Crazy Hand's voice rang out. "Everyone else has gone home from the party!" The two turned round to see Crazy's words were true; the hall was near empty, silent and with little activity. The only ones in the previously crowded hall were the four of them.

"So, the time's come?" Ganondorf thought aloud, directed at no one in particular. His head was raised in thought, his chin set on Crazy Hand. Lucas stared up at him in disbelief.

"You're not going to do anything about it? What'll become of the Mansion if we don't stay with it?" The boy tugged the Gerudo's cape slightly to check he was still there.

His broad figure moved slowly away from Lucas, taking a metallic step towards the waiting hands. "I'm sure the Mansion will still be here if we ever want to visit again." He tilted his head back to Lucas, offering a weak smile. "It'll be safe."

Lucas clenched his fists again, furious. "How come you don't care anymore? Didn't you want to stay here, with everyone else?" He took a step backwards, eyes wide. "We mustn't leave. You mustn't leave!"

Ganondorf's smile faded instantly as he heard Lucas' words. He was stubborn – just like how he was at that age. "Come on, we'll meet each other again. Everyone will, and this Mansion won't be in a ruin like how you think it'll be."

"…Promise?"

"Promise," the Gerudo swore, offering his right hand. Lucas looked at it for a few moments, before deciding to take it. Ganondorf grinned, bringing that same hand round onto the boy's small shoulder and leading him to Master and Crazy.

When he was near enough, he decided to let Lucas go. The boy looked up at the warlock, his eyes still watery. Beneath that intimidating exterior, there was someone else under there, someone he could have called his replacement father.

But his real dad was at home, waiting for him.

"I'll…see you soon." Lucas' eyes brimmed once again. Whether they were of loneliness or something else, he couldn't tell. Ganondorf gave a firm nod, and together, they clambered up the two hands.

They saw each other one last time, returning the other's smile. And like the other Smashers, they faded into darkness and disappeared from the Mansion. They felt no pain, only the numbing of their fingers and mind. Familiarity came rushing back to them, washing away strange, bizarre thoughts of a Mansion that had once stood. A powerful wind whistled in welcome as their feet hit their respective homelands.

The agony of separation and loss...it disappeared.

And in the same way, all hope of meeting again disappeared, when every memory of the Mansion and its residents were erased.

**-- End --**

* * *

**A/N: **Waaaaah! I actually felt depressed whilst writing this and after it, but it seemed like such an awesome idea at the time. Guess this is my punishment for doing such a horrible finale.

But still, what do you think? I would love to hear in a review!

And, just as a reminder, I'll be moving to the Star Fox section momentarily. And Sonic –shudders- I'll be back soon, I promise!


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